Before you can do anything, you'll need to make your character. You'll need to give your character a name and customize his (female characters are not a default option in the game) appearance.

You only have five survivor slots avaiable, so pick a slot. Next, you'll name your character and choose one of two Modes: Normal or Hardcore, whichever is your preference.

You will then be able to customize your appearance. Initially there is only one Survivor TemplateEx-soldier that you can use, but you can unlock more. You can then customize your head, upper body and lower body. Once you've finished you will be brought back to the Select Survivor screen. Here you will see your various survivors listed on the left and, after selecting one, their stats on the right.

Now that you've made a survivor, it's time to enter the game world. Click "Play" at the top of your screen and you will be given two options: Quick Join or Server Browser. If you're playing alone or don't care which server you end up, click Quick Join to be put into a random server that has open spaces. However, if you would like to tailor the game experience to your tastes, click Server Browser. This will take you to a new screen which will allow you to set a variety of parameters by which to search for open servers.

Here you will be able to select a server based on its ping (a higher ping will result in a laggy experience and connection, try and find a server whose ping is low and displayed in green); number of players, specific Game maps, or specific play Modes. There are also options for different regions, as well as some user interface (UI) preferences such as servers which allow nameplates (character names), crosshairs for players, and tracers on bullets.

You will spawn in a random place in the wilderness after joining a server. Initially you will only have a few things in your inventory: a Flashlight, Bandages, a Can of Soda, and a Granola Bar. You'll start with a Small Backpack which has 16 slots and a maximum carrying capacity of 20kg.

Before really getting your bearings and experimenting, it's suggested that you go prone and crawl to a place where you are sure to be safe to avoid players who are walking around in hopes of killing a newly created character (you might hear people refer to them as trollers or griefers). If you happen to die within the first few minutes of spawning you will either have to create a new survivor or, if you're on Normal mode, waiting four hours to respawn. If you do not want to wait, the option to pay 50 Gold Coins in order to revive is available.

Be careful! If you spawn at night, you may be tempted to use that flashlight and start exploring, don't give in to the temptation. A light will only attract zombies or other player characters who may be well armed and looking to kill you and steal your things.

Players will quickly find out that there is only one real rule in The War Z, and it's survive. Luckily, players get a little bit of help from the UI. In the top right corner you will see two indicators: one an eye and the other an ear. These meters will fluctuate depending on how you move around. If you're running around you will be more visible to zombies and they will hear you. However, walking while crouched (depending on your settings you'll either need to hit control once to toggle or hold the button) will significantly decrease both. Lastly, crawling (you can go prone by either pressing Z to toggle or holding Z depending on your settings) will bring both your visibility and the sound you generate down to the point where most creatures will not see you.

Another key factor to survival in The War Z is managing your thirst and hunger. You will need to consume different kinds of Food in order to raise top off your hunger meter or keep from dehydrating. If either of these gauges gets too low the player character will start seeing adverse effects and can even die. In order to consume any food item, simply enter your inventory and use it, or use it from your hotbar located along the bottom of the screen. Take note, you will not actually die if one of the meters hits zero, although if either meter becomes red you will begin to slowly lose health. Having either bar in critical condition will also result in your stamina bar recharging more slowly limiting the amount of time a player can sprint.

Often times, players will likely hear an ever increasing sound cues as they explore the game world. If you hear noise, don't panic, as it is simply ambient noise implemented to keep players on edge. However, the developers have indicated that in the future these might become actual dynamic cues signaling danger nearby.

You'll need to search around for a proper weapon, such as a pistol or melee weapon. They are often difficult to find, in the meantime, your trusty flashlight serves as a crude (and weak) melee weapon. It's recommended that players avoid combat until a real weapon is found; however, if players decide to use the flashlight to kill their foes try to engage one enemy at a time. More than that and the player will likely have trouble.

In The War Z players should always aim for the head. Just like in other zombie lore, the best way to take down a zombie is to either shoot it in the head or use a melee weapon to bludgeon the zombie to death.

In the event that a player is spotted by zombies and the flashlight isn't enough the best approach is running away. Hold the shift key in order to begin sprinting; after covering a few hundred yards the zombies will give up their chase and walk back to where they were.

Players may be tempted to go into areas with buildings in order to find supplies, and while there are often supplies located in these areas they are also a magnet for zombies and other players. If you plan on going into one of these areas, exercise caution. Aside from using real money in The Marketplace, players will need a little bit of luck and a keen eye when scavenging for items.

There are a few farms and ranches scattered throughout the map, these areas are usually free of player characters and often have a good haul of supplies. Just be careful when approaching, farms and ranches are often highly populated with zombies; with a melee weapon equipped and a little bit of patience these areas can be cleared quickly and safely.

Bringing up the area map by pressing M will show the various settlements and roads in a given area. In each game map, players will see areas circled in red. These areas are designated as safe zones where weapons cannot be used and zombies do not spawn. If you're looking for a safe place to log out, meet a friend, or just access the in-game store, safe zones provide a respite from the dangerous world of The War Z.

Another central feature of The War Z is surviving not just the zombies and the elements, but also other players. On servers with high populations players will find that they run into others very often. Unless a character is well-armed, approaching another player is usually not a good idea since there is usually a "shoot first, ask questions later" mindset when it comes to player interaction.

Helpful hint: If you're trying to just get adjusted to the game it may be a good idea to start on a server with a low population, that way your chances of running into other characters will be lower. Once you've gotten some more supplies you'll be able to switch to another server and engage in PvP if you'd like.

Within The Marketplace players will find a variety of Items to purchase with either in-game currency (Dollars) or Gold Coins (currency that can be earned by playing the game or be purchased for real-world currency). Whether running low on Ammunition, Food, Medical Supplies, or just want your character to look cool (sometimes with additional defensive perks) by purchasing some awesome Armor players will likely want to peruse the items found in The Marketplace.